The Mentor's Rage
by BeyondTheClouds777
Summary: During the battle of the USJ, Izuku is hit and seriously injured by the anti-All Might, Nomu. When All Might arrives, he's beyond furious. (Read the full story on AO3) (Dad Might)
1. Chapter 1

*****WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE END OF SEASON 1. VENTURE IN AND READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.*****

* * *

 _...Wait, hold on a sec, it didn't…_

 _...hurt him?_

Izuku stared at his arm, miraculously not broken despite him using a Smash without holding anything back. But it wasn't so much his non-broken arm that startled him so much as it was the fact that Nomu, the anti-All Might creature created with the intention of destroying the Symbol of Peace, was completely unfazed, unmoved, and unharmed by Izuku's blow.

Izuku slowly retracted his fist, his teeth clenched. _If I'm All Might's successor,_ his mind raced, _with his exact power, and...and a punch didn't even faze him, does that mean…_

 _...Can All Might really be defeated by him?_

The leading villain, Shigaraki, covered in eerie, pale-green hands, raised his head. "'Smash'?" he repeated thoughtfully, echoing Izuku's battlecry. "Are you a follower of All Might's?"

Izuku didn't respond. If a Smash at his full strength didn't do anything, there was nothing more he could do. He was powerless now. Completely, one-hundred-percent powerless.

"Nevermind," Shigaraki decided. "I'm finished with you."

Nomu reached out and clasped Izuku's arm, his fingers completely coiled around it, locking him firmly in place. Izuku flinched, eyes wide and teeth clenched.

 _There's nothing…_

Shigaraki reached out, one hand towards Tsu and the other hand towards Mineta.

 _...There's absolutely nothing…_

Nomu raised his arm over Izuku.

 _...I can do._

Nomu brought down his hand. Izuku put up his fists and channeled One for All into his arms, but there wasn't anything he could do anymore. It was over.

Nomu's ginormous hand finally made contact.

"MIDORIYA!"

His name, shouted by Tsu and Mineta, was the very last sound Izuku heard. His world exploded in blinding, excruciating pain, and something metallic burned the back of his throat. Black flooded over his sight like ink in water, and he was unconscious before he hit the ground.

…

Izuku didn't move. At all. Whatsoever. He was as still as death, blood pooling beneath his head and his chest rattling with every shallow, wavering breath he managed to gasp.

Tsu and Mineta stared at him in horror, expressions blank. "M-Midoriya…" Mineta whimpered shakily, tears beginning to flow. "N-No, t-this isn't...t-this c-can't be real…"

Shigaraki moved his hands over Mineta and Tsu's heads, ready to turn them to dust.

But at that very instant, the doors leading into the USJ burst open. Shigaraki's hands halted over Tsu and Mineta; the rest of the remaining villains turned, too, with shock and confusion.

And then, in stormed the one and only All Might. He wasn't smiling. In fact, if the other U.A. students hadn't known he was on their side, they would have been terrified by the look on his face.

"It's fine now, because... _I am here!"_

…

All Might was furious.

No, this was - this was a thing _beyond_ just plain old _fury_. His students had been attacked before they were ready, before they could win a fight. The enemy had cornered them in a place where they were supposed to be safe. And not only that, but the other U.A. heroes who fought were left badly injured and unmoving.

This was wrong. Nobody had the right to do this, least of all to the students and teachers All Might had grown fond of. He was going to make them pay. He was going to make them _all_ pay for what they did.

He took a step forward and dashed, quicker than a bolt of lightning, into the fray. The first couple villains were knocked out in an instant; before they even hit the ground, All Might had grabbed Aizawa and was a safe distance away.

Aizawa was bloody and unconscious, but still breathing. It was nothing he wouldn't recover from over time. But all the same...

"...I'm sorry, Aizawa," All Might said, carefully setting the injured hero on the ground. He then turned, to face who he assumed were the ringleaders of this entire operation.

And then he saw Izuku.

Izuku, the precious, selfless boy All Might had met what seemed so very long ago. Izuku, always in it for his friends and never for himself, willing to give up anything and everything if it meant they were safe. Izuku, compassionate and shy and timid and always worrying he wasn't a good enough successor.

Izuku, unmoving, pale, and covered in his own blood, lying in a crumpled heap on the ground. Honestly, from where he was standing, All Might couldn't even tell whether or not he was breathing.

His heart pounded faster and harder than ever before.

And he was moving again.

He shot off at a speed that would put a bullet to shame, snatching Tsu and Mineta from the water with one hand, using his other arm to quickly but gently scoop Izuku off the ground. They were a safe distance from the villains in less than an instant.

Izuku was bleeding even worse than Aizawa, and his blood ran and dripped off All Might's arm. The boy was so limp and pale, he very well could've been dead, but All Might could tell he was breathing now, taking in small, raspy gasps between his parted lips. It looked like hard work.

All Might was overwhelmed with...with _everything._ With sorrow, with pain, and with guilt all at once as he held this precious, irreplaceable, broken boy in his grasp. He kept a loose hold, fearing that if he held too tight Izuku would simply shatter.

"...I'm sorry, my boy," All Might whispered. "I am so, so sorry."

If only he'd gotten here just a couple seconds sooner, he may have been able to stop this. If only he hadn't wasted all his time that morning taking care of small criminal schemes that could have easily been handled by other heroes. If only. If only. _If only_.

He straightened up, realizing that this was not the time for "if only"s. This was the time for action, to make the villains pay for what they did to Aizawa and Thirteen, but first and foremostly for what they did to Izuku.

After all, Aizawa and Thirteen were heroes who'd faced pain and fear before. They were used to the world of crime-fighting and pain. It was all just part of the "hero" job.

However, Izuku was still merely a _child_. Fifteen years old, if All Might's memory served correct. For someone to do something of this extent to a mere _child_ …

It made All Might's blood boil.

He released Tsu and Mineta and used both arms to support Izuku as he slowly and oh so carefully lowered him to the ground. Izuku's head lolled, and All Might swallowed thickly. The boy still wasn't moving. _At all_. Even _Aizawa_ had been moving, just a little bit. But Izuku wasn't even _cringing;_ he had to be in a lot of pain, considering his injuries, and yet…

 _And yet…_

And yet he was still. Limp. Motionless. _Lifeless_.

All Might straightened up again, and Tsu and Mineta scrambled forward to kneel at Izuku's side.

"Young Asui," All Might said, and Tsu turned to look at him, her hands hovering over Izuku uncertainly, "I'm entrusting Midoriya to your care. Young Mineta, watch over Aizawa."

Mineta nodded and bolted off, and Tsu nodded to All Might in agreement. All Might turned fully, putting himself between the villains and his students while Tsu tore off her long sleeves and applied pressure to Izuku's head wound.

Shigaraki was standing in the same position as before, his hands still poised over the water. But then he straightened up, scratching his neck with two pale fingers. "That brat…" Shigaraki said. "He put up his fists to counter Nomu's blow...how irritating...how _irritating…"_

All Might looked at the creature - _Nomu_ , was it called? - and was struck by a sudden realization. Izuku had obviously been struck by this...this _thing_ , and according to Shigaraki, he'd put up his fists, no doubt channeling One for All through his arms and hands.

But if he _hadn't_ done that...if he _hadn't_ partially blocked Nomu's blow…

...There was no way he could've survived it.

He already took so much life-threatening damage _having_ blocked Nomu's attack. If he hadn't managed to defend himself, he would've _definitely_ been killed in an instant.

However, this realization also showed All Might that these villains _had_ intended to kill Izuku, and that fact only further fueled All Might's rage. If he'd been angry before, he was...he was…

No. There were no words to describe the burning, fire-hot anger he was feeling. It coursed through his veins like poison, and he balled his fists to the point of pain. He'd never, _ever_ been this infuriated before in his entire life.

"Izuku's punch didn't faze it at all," Tsu spoke up after a second, and All Might looked at the girl over his shoulder. Tsu looked uncharacteristically worried, and Izuku's blood seeped into her glove. "They called it the anti-All Might. Their plot is to kill you."

All Might turned away, facing their opponents once again. "...Not to worry, Young Asui," All Might said. "All you have to do is take care of Midoriya. This won't take long."

He put up his fists, and charged at the monster.

It was the first real fist-fight All Might remembered having. Usually fights were over within a punch or two, but now, fists were flying back and forth, delivering blow, after blow, after blow, after blow, after blow. All Might wasn't used to fights lasting this long, but that didn't matter.

He had to beat these guys. It didn't matter how he did it. He had to beat them. He wasn't going to let them escape unscathed after what they did to Izuku. They were going to pay. They were going to pay. They were going to pay, pay, pay, pay, _pay_.

"You should have known better," All Might bellowed, pulling back his fist, "than to mess with my students!"

He delivered the blow, Nomu countered, and the fight went on. Punch, after punch, after punch. All Might was still overwhelmed with fury, which quickly turned into adrenaline and gave him the drive to keep fighting.

" _Can I become a hero, even though I don't have a Quirk?"_

All Might figured out Nomu's secret, his regenerative properties, and he kept hailing down his punches, refusing to let up.

" _I want to be an awesome hero, who always saves people with a smile...like you!"_

All Might landed a blow to Nomu's gut, throwing him backwards; the monster was back in an instant ready to retaliate, but All Might was ready, too.

" _I have to work harder than anyone else to make it! I'll never catch up otherwise…!"_

The fight went on, but it was very obvious now who was winning. All Might wasn't letting up, and Nomu was beginning to crumble. Each of All Might's hits delivered more damage each time, and Nomu's own attacks were becoming rather pathetic.

" _...I want to be the strongest hero…"_

Punch. Dodge. Punch. Duck. _Smash!_ Dodge.

" _...Like you!"_

All Might gritted his teeth. _If I can't beat a couple of villains_ … he thought, balling his fist and preparing the final blow.

 _...Then I don't have the right to be called "the strongest hero"!_

He landed his punch, directly to the hideous monster's chest, and Nomu was sent flying, straight upwards and straight through the ceiling of the USJ. His loud, animal-like shriek resounded in the air for a good minute before finally fading out in the distance.

Nomu, the anti-All Might, was gone.

All Might straightened up, panting only slightly from exertion. He was still so full of anger and hatred that it was ridiculous, and the adrenaline hadn't worn off even slightly.

He turned to face Shigaraki and Kurogiri, the latter staring at him like he was a freak of the nature while the former's expression was hidden by one of those disgusting pale-green hands.

All Might put up a hand, then balled it into a fist.

"Round two?" he questioned.

He was beginning to feel it now - his transformation was going to wear off soon, and he knew it - but he was determined to keep this up until help arrived, until Izuku and the rest of the students (but mostly Izuku) were safe.

He could feel the villains' confidence wavering, too, as they watched him.

"...He defeated...my Nomu?" Shigaraki said dumbly, like he was a child who'd just dropped their ice cream. "No...no...this can't be true...how could he have defeated Nomu…?"

Shigaraki straightened up after another moment. "...I suppose this...is game over, then," he said, still seemingly unable to grasp this reality.

"Leaving so soon?" All Might was still ready and raring to go, ready to _pound these villains' FACES in_ for what they did to Izuku. Actually, he somewhat _wanted_ them to stick around, just so he had the pleasure of bringing them down himself.

"...Yes...I believe it is time to leave…" Shigaraki said. "Kurogiri, if you don't mind…"

Kurogiri took one last look at All Might, and then decided it was better not to argue with Shigaraki at this point. He activated the portal, and he and Shigaraki vanished without a trace.

And then, everything was suddenly silent.

All Might stared at the spot where the two villains had disappeared - and then pivoted and raced back to Izuku and Tsu. He knelt by Izuku's side, opposite of the young girl.

"His breathing is getting worse," Tsu reported, tearing even more of her sleeve and continuing to add pressure to Izuku's head, though it didn't seem to be doing much good. "He most likely suffered internal damage…"

All Might's clothes were already ripped, so it didn't take much to tear off some decent strips and add them to Tsu's. Izuku's breathing was all over the place, and there were some terrifying pauses between inhales and exhales that left All Might fearing whether his breaths would actually continue.

This was bad. This was really, really, really, really, _really_ bad.

"Stay with us, Midoriya," All Might pleaded, which was out of character for him, honestly, but he didn't care. He would've gotten on his knees and flat-out _begged_ if it meant Izuku staying alive. "You're going to be just fine, my boy, just hang in there…"

Izuku coughed harshly, choked, and blood ran down his cheek. He was coughing up blood now, which only confirmed Tsu's suspicions, that there was internal damage as well as external.

All Might noticed Tsu swallowing hard, struggling to maintain her composure, but commented not. They were both struggling to maintain _any_ kind of composure.

Izuku's head wound was still bleeding. It seemed to have slowed, but only slightly, and not enough to change anything. He'd lost a dangerous amount of blood now, and his breathing went from sharp and desperate to shallow and thin, until he was barely breathing at all. He wasn't struggling for breath anymore.

His body, it was…

...It was winding down…

And then, suddenly, the doors of the USJ were thrown open once again - this time, it was reinforcements from the U.A., coupled with nearly every able hero in the entire area. Tsu watched, then blinked.

"...Reinforcements," said Tsu, and though her voice was as straightforward as ever, All Might could definitely sense her relief. "They're finally here-"

All Might, without warning, scooped the limp Izuku into his arms once again and stood. "Please go help Young Mineta carry Aizawa," he said to Tsu as she also got to her feet, her gloves and boots bloodstained.

Tsu nodded and hopped off, while All Might zoomed up front to find Recovery Girl.

He had left Aizawa to Tsu and Mineta, not because he cared for Aizawa less, but because Izuku needed medical attention more. And honestly, for the most part, Aizawa could handle pain; Izuku on the other hand was still young and inexperienced.

That, and…

...And All Might had begun to see Izuku as a son…

"Good heavens, what happened to the boy now!?"

The exclamation signaled All Might to Recovery Girl's location, and he raced over. She met him halfway, and he got down on one knee to let her look at Izuku. She gasped in shock and horror, then began digging around frantically in the medical bag she'd brought in with her.

"Deku!"

"Izuku!"

"Midoriya!"

The other shouts signaled the arrival of Izuku's other classmates, who had regrouped or were currently regrouping to the front entrance of the USJ. Ochako gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth as tears formed in her eyes at the sight of her friend, and Iida, who had arrived with the other superheroes, only stared in horror. The rest of the class stared as well, half of them looking sick and the other half looking... _terrified._

Well, rightfully so. After all, from their perspective…

...Izuku must have looked _dead_. Actually, if All Might hadn't been able to feel the fleeting rise and fall of Izuku's chest, he, too, would have thought him no more than a lifeless body.

"Put this on him, quick." Recovery Girl moved forward, strapping an oxygen mask around Izuku's face and hooking him up with a small, portable oxygen tank. She'd come prepared for injuries of all sorts, clearly, but she was still visibly shaken up by seeing one of the students in such a state.

"...Aizawa will be here soon," said All Might, because he thought it was something he should mention. "He needs medical attention, too…"

But not more than Izuku. Izuku was...Izuku was in an immediate position of life or death.

It took less than five seconds for Recovery Girl to bind Izuku's head wound with thick gauze, but she didn't seem proud of this accomplishment whatsoever. Izuku felt so _boneless_ and _lifeless_ in All Might's arms that it was terrifying, and All Might had to check every once and then to make sure he was actually still breathing. The oxygen tank was helping, and the blood had finally stopped flowing, but…

...The situation still hadn't really changed. Izuku had still lost a freakish amount of blood, and his internal injuries were definitely still there, and they weren't going to get better on their own.

"I need to get him back to the infirmary at the U.A.," Recovery Girl informed All Might, breaking him from his thoughts. "I don't have all the supplies I need to care for him properly here."

All Might wished he could block all this out. He wished he would wake up from this nightmare, but of course he couldn't.

After all, you can't wake up from your own reality.

"Time is of the essence," said Recovery Girl, her hands moving briefly over Izuku's chest, feeling for broken ribs. Izuku didn't respond to her touches and prods, completely still in All Might's arms. "We need to get him back as quickly as possible, or else…"

She didn't have to finish that sentence.

Nobody _wanted_ her to finish that sentence.

…

To say All Might was worried would have been the greatest understatement in the world.

The rest of the U.A. students had been sent home until the security could be upped. The only remaining student in the entire facility was Izuku, currently in the infirmary with Recovery Girl trying her hardest to save him.

Izuku's closest friends - namely Tsu, Ochako, and Iida, though most of Class 1-A was frantic with worry - had been extremely reluctant to leave him, especially considering the state he was in when they last saw him, but Recovery Girl had eventually managed to shoo them away.

"I know you're worried," Recovery Girl had told them, "but it's better for you to be home right now. It won't take long for the security teams to finish up, so I'll let you know as soon as you can see your friend."

"B-But what if…" Ochako had asked fearfully, her voice shaking and cracking in a million different places. "...W-What if D-Deku...w-what if he...h-he...d-doesn't make i-it?"

Recovery Girl had crossed her arms. "So long as I'm here," she'd said firmly, "that is _never_ going to happen."

The students had finally left after that, and Recovery Girl had been holed in the infirmary with Izuku since. All Might waited just outside the infirmary's closed door, shrunken down to his weaker, true form. His hands squeezed his knees, and his legs were shaking.

He couldn't remember ever being this worried before in his life. He couldn't deny it; Izuku _was_ like a son to him, and now that the adrenaline had finally worn off from his battle, his mind was suddenly all to clear.

Izuku was…

...He was hurt _bad_.

Recovery Girl had reassured the other students that Izuku would be alright, and of course they'd bought it, but All Might knew the woman well enough to notice the small quiver in her voice, the hint of uncertainty in her face.

Not even _she_ knew whether Izuku would make it.

Waiting was torture. Honestly, All Might would rather fight another _dozen_ Nomus than sit here in silence with just his own thoughts, which weren't very good company at the moment. He had plenty of time to let the gravity of the situation catch up to him; to let image after image of Izuku, broken and bloody, play on a repeated slideshow in his mind's eye.

It. Was. _Torture._

And then finally, later on in the day, when the sun had long since set, the door to Recovery Girl's office opened, and All Might leapt to his feet instantly, rounding the small woman.

"How is he?" All Might interrogated, because he had to know. After waiting _so long_ , the worst-case-scenarios running back and forth through his head, he _had_ to know, beit good or bad.

Recovery Girl sighed. She looked suddenly much, much older, and there were shadows beneath her eyes. Her white coat was soiled by splatters of blood. "He has a concussion," Recovery Girl stated. "I healed it partially, but I used nearly all of his body's stamina repairing his insides, so his head will just have to heal the rest of the way on its own."

All Might swallowed, and then nodded. Recovery Girl's diagnosis, though not particularly uplifting, meant that Izuku was alive, and that alone was a victory in All Might's book.

"...And…?" All Might pressed on.

"...His ribs were pretty messed up," said Recovery Girl, "and he punctured a lung. I repaired the worst of it, and it isn't life-threatening anymore, but...he's going to be out of comission for a while. He lost a lot of blood, so he's on a transfusion and an IV at the moment. The transfusion should be finished soon enough, but I'm giving him pain meds through the IV, so he'll have to stay on that until his body's recovered a bit more."

She took in a breath, held it for a moment, and exhaled slowly.

"That poor, poor child," she breathed, shaking her head. "Those villains had _no right_...no right to do this to _anyone_ , least of all a defenseless _student_ …"

After Recovery Girl had disappeared with Izuku in the infirmary, All Might had decided to put aside his fury until the next time he ran into Shigaraki and the other villains, but at Recovery Girl's remark...well...let's just say All Might wasn't as through bring furious as he would have hoped.

Usually, seeing a villain behind bars was enough to quench any anger he held towards them; however, this time, he wanted to see Shigaraki and his followers _dead_. He wanted them dead, and he wanted them to _genuinely regret_ what they did to Izuku.

"You should go see him," said Recovery Girl, disrupting All Might's thoughts. "I don't imagine him waking up anytime soon, but when he does, I reckon seeing you will boost his morale more than anything."

All Might swallowed hard, then nodded. "Alright," he agreed. Recovery Girl smiled tiredly at him, and then left, heading down the hallway and leaving All Might alone in front of the infirmary.

All Might mentally prepared himself for whatever he would find, then pushed open the partially closed door and headed inside.

Izuku was lying on one of the first infirmary beds, and IV and blood transfusion set up on the floor just beside him, tubes trailing down until they reached needles injected into Izuku's wrists. Gauze was wound around his head snugly, and his skin was an ashen, pasty white. He was on oxygen, a mask over his nose and mouth and a tank sitting on the floor beside the IV hanger, but despite that, his breaths were short and quick, almost like he still couldn't breathe.

This whole thing felt...almost surreal.

All Might reached out hesitantly, gently touching the boy's face. His skin was cold, like ice, and he didn't react to All Might's touch whatsoever. He was completely _out_ , whether by his body's own accord or by intention of Recovery Girl.

In the end it didn't really matter.

All Might sucked in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. He felt like someone had taken a dagger and driven it into his heart, then twisted it for good measure. It was a very, _very_ painful sensation.

"...Young Midoriya…"

He pulled up a chair beside the bed and sank down onto it wearily. He could've stopped this. He _knew_ he could've stopped this. If he'd just gotten to the USJ a couple moments faster...he could have stopped this, _all_ of this.

He could have spared Izuku a lot of pain.

"...I'm sorry," All Might said, resting his hand on the boy's cold, pale forearm. "I'm so, so, _so sorry_ …"

He hadn't had much time for regrets in the heat of battle, when he was fighting against Nomu and the other villains for the lives of the other students and teachers of the U.A., but now that the battle was over, he had more than enough time.

...

Izuku awakened all at once with a surge of adrenaline still coursing through his body. He shot into a sitting position, breathing hard - it was a bad idea to move so quickly, and he gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, reaching up to clutch his pulsating, aching head.

His fingers grazed thick gauze, and after the throbbing in his head finally diminished enough, he cracked his eyes open.

He knew where he was in an instant. He'd been in the U.A. infirmary enough times to recognize it immediately. However, it took him more time that it should've for him to notice the oxygen mask strapped over his nose and mouth, and the IV needle in his arm.

 _What...happened?_

As soon as the thought entered his mind, he remembered everything. _Everything_. The villains showing up; getting warped to the Shipwreck Zone; fighting the villains in the water; going to help Aizawa; Shigaraki moving towards Tsu and Mineta -

Izuku tore the oxygen mask off his face, pulled the IV out of his arm, and leapt out of the hospital bed. The instant his feet hit the ground, he swayed, and black spots invaded his line of sight, but he didn't care.

His head pounded, and he thought his skull was going to explode; he stumbled more than walked, trying to make it to the door on the other side of the room. His chest hurt, _so badly_ , and breathing was really, really, really hard.

 _I have...to make sure..._

He hissed through his teeth in pain, clutching his head again.

 _...Tsu...Mineta…everyone..._

 _I need...to know...they're okay…_

The white tiled floor seemed to swirl beneath his feet. Bile burned the back of his throat.

 _I need…_

 _...to know…_

Just as he reached out to turn the knob, the door swung open.

"Young Midoriya!"

Izuku couldn't take it any longer; he pitched forward, his knees giving out beneath him. Just when he thought he'd hit the ground, two arms reached out and caught him in the nick of time.

"Just _what...what are you doing up?"_

Oh. Izuku recognized that voice in a heartbeat. "A-All Might," he stammered, and then cringed. His voice sounded _awful_. Another bolt of pain shot through his head, and he gritted his teeth again.

"Alright, alright, my boy, back to bed with you…"

All Might was in his true, weaker form at the moment, so he couldn't carry the student; instead, he held fast to Izuku's arm and let the boy lean against him as they crossed the room again.

Izuku was grateful for the help. He really didn't feel like tripping and messing up his head again.

"T-the r-rest of the st-students," Izuku hacked. _Why...why is it so hard to breathe?_ "W-What...w-what h-hap-" He broke off into a fit of coughing, burying his face in the crook of his arm to stifle it.

All Might quickened his pace, deposited Izuku on the bed, and reached over, grabbing the boy's discarded oxygen mask. "You shouldn't have taken this off," All Might sighed, more to himself than anything, helping Izuku get it back over his face. Izuku sighed, relieved to be able to breathe again.

"You punctured a lung, Midoriya," All Might informed him. "Recovery Girl healed what she could, but it's going to take time. You have to stay down for a while, alright?"

Izuku nodded, and then stopped when it further pained his head. "The others," he repeated; talking was a bit easier now that he could breathe. "Everyone else, what...happened to them…?"

"The others are alright," All Might answered; he pulled up a stool and sat down beside Izuku's bed. "You're the only student who suffered any casualties, and Aizawa is slowly healing. I arrived shortly after you were injured, and the villains ran."

Izuku sighed again in relief. He was sitting up, and his head was still spinning, but he felt better now that he knew everyone else was safe.

He bit his lip, hands balling into fists. "...I...was powerless," he said quietly; he could feel All Might's eyes bearing into him, but didn't meet his gaze. "When the villains were going after Tsu, Mineta and me, I couldn't...there was nothing I could do."

"Don't beat yourself up over it," said All Might. "You're still young and learning how to use One for All. You fought as hard as you could with your current strength, and I'm proud of you."

"But...if you hadn't been there..." Izuku said, and then paused. "I was scared," Izuku admitted, looking down again. "There was...there was _nothing_ I could do...I was...I was frozen in place."

All Might nodded in understanding. "That's nothing to be ashamed of, boy," he said. "It's completely natural to fear for your life in situations like that. Why, even pro heroes fear..."

Izuku was shaking his head feverishly, and All Might trailed off. "N-No, that's not what I meant," Izuku said. "I-I w-wasn't afraid of dying. I was scared I w-wouldn't be able to protect my f-friends."

All Might's eyes widened, and he was silent for a moment or two.

Then, he reached over and squeezed Izuku's shoulder. "You, my boy," All Might said, "have the heart of a true hero."

Izuku blinked, confused. _Is my head really that messed up…?_ "Heh?" he asked.

"You fought and held your own against villains who wanted to _kill_ you almost immediately after beginning hero training," said All Might firmly, "and that's more than most pro heroes have done. So don't worry about what you can and can't do right now. You'll get stronger, and continue to get stronger until you've become the new Symbol of Peace."

Izuku blinked, swallowed, and then rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. His head was still killing him, but he felt more mentally and emotionally stable now.

"...You should get some rest now," All Might said, giving Izuku a small, prompting push, and Izuku laid down, secretly relieved to be able to rest his head. He heard All Might mutter to himself under his breath, "Recovery Girl's going to be mad at me again…"

Izuku cracked a small smile and blinked slowly. He wasn't sure why, but he felt suddenly exhausted, more exhausted than he'd ever felt before in his life. "...And...you don't have to worry, either…" he murmured. His words were slurring together, and he found it harder and harder to think coherently. "I'll...get stronger, and...and become a...a great...hero…"

He shut his eyes, and sleep overwhelmed him instantly.

…

All Might watched his student for a moment or two, then sighed heavily.

"But, Young Midoriya…" he said, with a gentle smile. "...You already are."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Did I mention that I write 99% of my stories while migraine-giddy and caffeine-high? No? Okay, well now you know, so please excuse any errors you may have found (correct:** _ **probably**_ **found) in this little one-shot of mine. It usually takes four to five read-overs for me to catch and fix everything. :/**

 **Oh btw, this was requested by an anonymous Guest reviewer on my BnHA debut story,** _ **Please, Just Stay With Me**_ **, so thanks for the idea! *thumbs up* This story wouldn't exist without it!**

 **And I mean, I don't take on very many requests, but I'm a sucker for whumping characters, and I've been told that I'm good at it, so if you guys have any unfortunate scenarios I can put poor Deku in that'd be cool. I'm not saying I'll write** _ **everything**_ **, but I can promise that without any more ideas from you guys there'll definitely be nothing.**

 **So it's totally up to you lovely peoples. :) Just so long as it doeSN'T SPOIL THE FREAKING MANGA I'M SERIOUS GUYS NO SPOILERS I WILL DESTROY ANYONE WHO SPOILS ANYTHING FOR ME! (I mentioned this in my other BnHA story, but I'm an anime-watcher only until I can get my hands on the mangas, so if it hasn't happened in the anime, I don't know about it yet).**

 **Anyways, I've just got one final note to the user** **Iris Patton** **, and we'll wrap up this story right here. :)**

 **Iris Patton: Boku no Hero Academia is an amazing show! Let me know what you think about it when you've watched it! :D As for good anime recommendations, I would totally watch** _ **Boku dake ga Inai Machi**_ **(or "Erased"),** _ **Your Lie in April, Little Witch Academia, Sangatsu no Lion**_ **(or "March Comes In Like a Lion")** _ **,**_ **and if you have a lot of free time on your hands and want to dedicate yourself to a 75 episode sports anime,** _ **Kuroko no Basuke.**_ **You can also visit the website MyAnimeList and look up my name (B-T-Clouds777) to see a list of show's I'm watching/going to watch/have watched and what I ranked them. :) Sorry for the long response! I just love anime a little too much. :P**

 **Thank you all so much for all your support on my debut! That made me really happy and inspired! :) And thank you all for reading this story as well! Let me know if you have any suggestions/requests/advice in the reviews! :D**

 **Cheers!**

 **-BeyondTheClouds777**


	2. Chapter 2

"He tore his IV out?"

All Might nodded, taking a small step back from the bedside to let Recovery Girl back through to examine her patient. She took Izuku's wrist, the one the IV had been previously connected to, then sighed heavily.

"He was panicking," All Might informed the woman, as she wiped streaks of blood off Izuku's hand and prepared the IV needle. "He collapsed the second I walked through the door, but he was definitely more than a little frightened."

"Mmhmm, makes sense," said Recovery Girl, inserting the IV needle and taping it in place - this time, though, she went all the way around Izuku's wrist. "It'll discourage him from yanking it out next time," she told All Might. "He needs the pain meds, and the best way to administer them is through the IV."

All Might nodded. The weight of this situation was still resting heavily on his shoulders, but seeing Izuku awake earlier - exhausted and unable to stand on his feet for more than a few seconds, but awake nonetheless - had made All Might feel marginally better.

"He should be fine within another week or two," said Recovery Girl, "but his ribs are my biggest concern. He can't exert himself whatsoever if he wants to heal."

As it was, Izuku was still sleeping soundly, soundly to the point where he hadn't even responded to Recovery Girl setting the IV back in place.

 _It makes sense,_ All Might mused, watching his student breathe steadily thanks to the oxygen mask. _His body's completely worn out. I wouldn't be surprised if he sleeps like this for the next week._

"We'll have to keep a careful watch over him," Recovery Girl concluded. "In the state he's in, he's vulnerable to complications. If something else goes wrong, I can't guarantee he'll live."

An icy dagger or fear embedded in All Might's heart. This was the real gravity of the situation: Izuku could still die. He wasn't out of the woods. If the oxygen mask stopped working, if he developed a fever, if Recovery Girl's Quirk suddenly stopped healing him…

All Might shook his head. Those things were all _maybes_. And as long as they stayed "ifs" and "maybes" he didn't have to think about it. They would cross that bridge when (and if) they came to it.

"I have some calls to make," said Recovery Girl, sliding off her stool and making for the infirmary's door again. "Stay with him while I'm gone, won't you?"

"I will," All Might said, nodding. Nothing could tear him from his student's side at the moment.

…

When Izuku awoke again, he was in pain. He'd been in pain the first time he'd woken up, too, but this was worse. His chest felt like it was burning, and his throat was tight. Besides that, his head was absolutely _pounding_ , so much to the point where he almost couldn't think clearly.

 _Where am…oh._ It took him much longer than it normally would have for him to remember. _Right...the U.A., in the infirmary…_

Had his head really hurt _this much_ before? No, it hadn't. He knew it hadn't. Maybe the first time he woke, he was still in frenzy-mode and full of adrenaline. Now that his body had the chance to wind down, he was feeling every bit of his injuries.

And it hurt. _A lot_.

"Young Midoriya?"

Izuku cracked his eyes open, just slightly. White blinded his vision for a moment, and when it cleared, he somehow managed to meet All Might's gaze. His vision was blurry, though, and he couldn't seem to focus on anything for more than a second.

There was something in All Might's face - worry? Fear? Concern? - but of course Izuku was far too out of it to actually realize what it was.

"Does it hurt?" All Might asked, and then paused with a sudden frown. "Wait, that was a stupid question."

Izuku actually cracked a small smile at that, but it quickly turned into a grimace of pain. Instantly, All Might rose to his feet and turned on his heel. "I'll get Recovery Girl," he told Izuku.

 _...Get...Recovery Girl?_

"W-Wait…"

All Might barely made it two steps before Izuku reached out, somehow managing to snag his mentor's sleeve. His grip was weak, and he knew All Might could easily pull away, but he didn't.

"D-Don't…" Izuku's voice cracked. "D-Don't...leave…"

Under normal circumstances, Izuku would have been embarrassed beyond belief - in fact, he never would have tried stopping All Might at all. But not now. Now was different. His head hurt so bad he thought he'd pass out, and breathing was hard, even with the oxygen mask.

He didn't want to be alone right now. He really, really, _really_ didn't want to be alone right now. He didn't think he'd be able to handle it.

"Alright, alright, I'll stay," All Might said quickly, taking his seat once again, "just don't push yourself, alright? You're hurt badly, Young Midoriya. You need to give your body time to rest."

Somehow, the logical, problem-solving part of Izuku registered this, and he nodded - then stopped when another bolt of hot pain shot through his skull. He grit his teeth tighter and swallowed back a moan.

"Is it your head?"

He barely jerked his head in a nod, trying to minimize movement as much as possible. Why did it _hurt so badly…?_

"...Just...try and get some sleep. I know it's hard, but you need to try."

Izuku swallowed. He tried, he really did try, but sleep just...didn't come. It just _didn't_. He was exhausted, and he knew if he slept he'd feel better when he woke up, but he just... _couldn't_.

He heard the door of the infirmary open, and instantly, All Might was talking. Izuku couldn't make out very much; just a couple of keywords, like "awake" and "pain" and "sleep," or something or other. He cracked his eyes open long enough to see Recovery Girl fiddle with his IV - and then, a cool and gentle but unnatural sense of unconsciousness swept over him, and the world disappeared into a black abyss.

…

"I should have been expecting it," Recovery Girl sighed. "The boy has a concussion that's only partially healed. I should have given him those stronger pain meds sooner…" She inspected his bandages, and All Might's mind wandered not for the first (or final) time.

At some point, Izuku had subconsciously latched onto All Might's hand. His grip, which had been painfully tight just moments before, was now completely limp, but All Might just...didn't have the heart to pull away. It seemed almost cruel to.

"Well, he should be able to at least sleep peacefully now," said Recovery Girl. "If he wakes up again and is still in pain, I'll try upping his medication again, but I don't want to be giving him more than he can handle, either."

All Might only nodded. Recovery Girl watched him for a moment or two, and then sighed heavily for the upteenth time.

"You're being awfully quiet," she said.

The reason was a simple one. "I can't really find anything worth saying."

"...You're blaming yourself for this, aren't you?"

All Might flinched. There was something very accusing about Recovery Girl's tone that made him uneasy. But he couldn't deny her accusation, so he said nothing at all.

Unfortunately, his lack of answer was still answer enough. "Thought so," said the nurse. Then, more softly, "...You know there's nothing you could have done to prevent this, don't you?"

"I shirked my responsibilities as a teacher," said All Might, "when I spent the morning taking care of petty crimes instead of putting my students first. If I'd been at the USJ at the time of the attack-"

"No, that's not what I meant," Recovery Girl stopped him. "I meant Izuku's character, the type of person he is. Could you, or anyone, have prevented him from doing what he did to save his classmates? Don't you think it's something he'd do anyway, regardless of the kind of situation he's in?"

All Might hesitated.

"You being there wouldn't have changed what he did," said Recovery Girl. "If he saw one of his classmates in trouble, he would've plunged head-first into the danger, even if he knew it could cost him his life."

" _I was scared I wouldn't be able to protect my friends."_ That was what Izuku told All Might regarding the battle of the USJ. Regarding that moment when he'd leapt into the fray and landed a hit on Nomu to keep Shigaraki away from Asui and Mineta.

"He's the sacrificial type," said Recovery Girl. "If it was a choice between dying a painful, agonizing death and protecting the people he cares about...it's obvious what he'd choose. Do you seriously believe you could have prevented Midoriya from protecting his classmates when they were in a life or death situation?"

This answer was obvious, too.

"...No," All Might resigned, "but-"

"No 'buts,'" snapped Recovery Girl firmly. "We don't have time for 'buts' or 'what ifs.' The only thing we have to concern ourselves with now is making sure Midoriya rests and heals properly. And you blaming yourself isn't going to help with either of those things."

This was simply something All Might couldn't argue with. Although he was sure he'd never truly _stop_ blaming himself for this incident, he could definitely put the issue aside for the sake of his student's health.

"Now then," said Recovery Girl, turning from All Might and glancing at the clock hanging over the infirmary's door, "if you've gotten your self-loathing out of the way, you can help me face the boy's mother."

All Might blanched. He had completely forgotten of this other very pressing concern.

Of course, how would Inko Midoriya react to all of _this_?

…

To say Inko was panicked would have been the greatest understatement in the world.

She rushed to the U.A. in a flurry of something that far surpassed simple "panic," her heart pounding mercilessly in her chest and her eyes stinging with tears just waiting to be shed.

Her son - her precious, sweet, _irreplaceable_ little boy - was in the infirmary with grave injuries. Or, at least that's what the U.A. nurse had told her over the phone, but Inko didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to believe Izuku was really hurt. She just _couldn't_.

"W-Where's I-Izuku?"

The nurse was waiting for her outside the infirmary's doorway, and beside her stood All Might, the grand, powerful, number one hero. But Inko barely gave him a glance, her eyes glued to Recovery Girl. The nurse soon launched into a hasty explanation of Izuku's current state.

"He suffered a concussion, but he's healing steadily. His ribs were also damaged and are almost completely recovered. However, he's on heavy pain medications at the moment, so-"

Inko tried really, _really_ hard to pay attention to all the nurse was telling her, but she just couldn't, not when her injured boy was just beyond the infirmary's door.

Finally, the nurse stepped away and opened the door, and Inko practically flung herself through it. She felt a bit bad for abandoning Recovery Girl at first - but then, she caught sight of her son, and all other thoughts vanished without a trace.

Her son - her precious, _oh so precious_ baby - was a frightful shade of white, and he was hooked up with not only an IV, but an oxygen mask too. There were bandages around his head - Recovery Girl had mentioned a concussion - and…

...And he was unconscious. He didn't so much as twitch when Inko threw herself into the room.

She made a break for the bed, collapsing to her knees just beside it, unable to stand on her wobbling legs. She reached out hesitantly, then ran her trembling fingers through Izuku's dirty hair. His skin wasn't cold, but it wasn't necessarily warm, either.

"I-Izuku…o-oh, Izuku…" He was completely out, not even responding to her gentle touches. She stroked his hair off his face, being mindful of the bandages - behind her, All Might and Recovery Girl filed into the room.

"H-He'll be o-okay, w-won't he?" Inko asked fearfully, glancing briefly in Recovery Girl's direction. She had to know. This was a question that'd been pressing in the forefront of her mind for quite some time now. She had to know. She just _had_ to know.

The nurse smiled softly. "He'll be fine in no time, don't you worry," she said. "Your son's a fighter. The worst of his injuries have already healed. I reckon he'll be back on his feet in no time."

Inko sighed in relief, feeling something melt inside of her. Of course Izuku would be fine. Of _course_ he would.

Inko honestly didn't know what she'd do if he wasn't.

She'd been utterly frantic when she first arrived, and some of that same panic still remained, but she had calmed down considerably since Recovery Girl's reassurance. She felt better now, and the tension in her shoulders had loosened some.

"It's going to be okay, Izuku," she whispered to her son, smiling though she knew he couldn't see it. "Y-You're going to be okay…"

...

All Might felt like he was intruding on something private, something special between a mother and son, but he couldn't manage to tear his eyes from the scene. He thought, for another moment, how this scene would have played out differently if…

...If Izuku hadn't survived Nomu's attack.

"...I take full responsibility for Young Midoriya's injuries."

The words had left All Might's mouth before he even had the chance to second guess himself. Instantly, Inko and Recovery Girl were both looking at him, and he took in a breath.

"...It was my fault, I should have guided him better," All Might said. "It was my duty to look after him, and I failed, both as his teacher and as a hero. So…I'm sorry. I am really, truly sorry."

There were no words he could say to express just how blatantly _sorry_ he was that this had happened, that Izuku had gotten so hurt, that the boy had been caused so much pain.

Inko blinked and stared, wide-eyed, like she was seeing him for the first time - but then, her expression softened, and she smiled sadly.

"...My son...he's always been like this," she said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Always putting others before himself...he's come home dozens of times with bruises and scrapes when he was little. He didn't care what happened to him as long as he could protect others. That's just the kind of person he was, and still is. And..."

She glanced away, and then continued.

"And I know Izuku wouldn't want you, or anyone else, to blame themselves."

All Might couldn't argue with that - or with any of what she said. She must have been filled in by Recovery Girl, so she knew exactly _how_ Izuku was injured, that he'd jumped to face the villain in order to protect two of his classmates.

"...When can he leave the infirmary?" Inko asked; the question was now directed to Recovery Girl.

"I'd like to keep him for at least another four to five days and see how he does, but nothing more. At the rate he's recovering, he should be able to leave sooner than later."

Inko nodded. "I'd...I'd like to take him home as soon as I can," she said. "A-At least until he's better."

 _That makes sense_ , thought All Might. _She probably wants to make sure he heals properly before he comes back to school…_

"That's fine," said Recovery Girl, smiling. "I'll let you know as soon as he can go home. There's a list of over-the-counter medications he could take for the pain, or I could prescribe something..."

While Recovery Girl went on, writing down her list, All Might's mind wandered.

 _Izuku survived the fight this time, but next time…_

 _...Next time, he may not be so lucky._

…

Honestly, Inko had come dangerously close to just pulling Izuku right out of the U.A. for his own safety. After all, there were other superhero academies that _weren't_ the target of so many villains.

However, at the same time...she knew _exactly_ what Izuku would say. She knew he would be opposed to it. She knew he was happy at the USJ, even if he always ended up in the infirmary at the end of the day.

And…

...She knew he'd also bring up the fact that two students would have been _killed_ if he hadn't been there. That was the truth of it: Izuku saved two lives. Two lives that would have otherwise been lost. He'd _saved_ them, and Inko had to wonder what other lives he would save if he remained at the USJ.

She was proud of him. Terrified, but proud.

 _Well, I guess that's what comes…_

 _...With having a great hero for a son._

...

The next time Izuku awoke, it was to the sound of many whispering voices.

"Hey, ya think he's awake?"

That voice...Izuku didn't know who it was right away. He knew he recognized it, but-

"I don't think so, Kirishima."

 _Oh, Kirishima, right,_ Izuku realized. _And the one scolding him is...Todoroki, I think._

"He's really beat up." (That was unmistakably Tsuyu's voice.) "Don't you think we should come back when he's feeling a little better?"

"I don't know…he really does look horrible, though..."

 _Uraraka, definitely._

"Everyone, lower your voices! This is a hospital!"

 _Iida's here, too?_

"It's an infirmary, Iida."

 _Kaminari? Is_ all _of Class 1-A here?_

"I see no such difference! We should remain quiet to let Midoriya rest!"

"Dude, chill."

"Chill? _Chill?"_

"Guys, I think Deku's waking up!"

Izuku didn't want to wake up. For the first time since he was originally injured, he wasn't in an extreme amount of pain. _Recovery Girl must be giving me a lot of medications…_

He felt the IV tube against his skin.

 _...Through this, probably..._

"Midoriya?"

He cracked his eyes open, just barely, and was met by his fellow classmates crowding around the small infirmary bed.

 _They really...they really ARE all here._

 _...Except Kacchan…_

But he wasn't really surprised by that. Something that did surprise him, though, was the fact that he was no longer on oxygen. His chest ached, but he could still breathe.

 _I guess my lungs finished healing..._

He sat up with difficulty, meeting each student's eyes in turn.

There was a beat.

And then, it was like the entire room exploded. Everyone was suddenly cheering loudly and throwing their hands in the air, like they'd just finished a New Year's Day countdown.

"He lives!" shouted Kirishima proudly, pumping his fist into the air. "You seriously freaked us out, man! Don't do that again!"

"MIDOOORRIIYYYAAA!" Mineta cried, huge tears rolling down his face like rivers. "I T-THOUGHT YOU WERE _DEAAAAADDD!"_

"Are you okay? Does it still hurt?" Ochako asked, her voice nearly drowned out by everyone else.

"We were really worried," said Tsuyu. "We've all been trying to visit you since the fight, but Recovery Girl kept us away-"

"SO BRAVE!" Iida was shouting now. "TO LAY DOWN YOUR LIFE FOR YOUR CLASSMATES...YOU'RE SO COURAGEOUS, MIDORIYA!"

"Seriously though, dude! We were really worried!"

"When we saw All Might carrying you...we thought...we thought you were…"

"Oy! Don't say it! He's fine now, see?"

"AND ME! IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO BRING THE TEACHERS TO THE USJ! IF ONLY I'D BEEN A LITTLE QUICKER, I COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS! YOU HAVE MY SINCEREST APOLOGIES, MIDORIYA!"

"What you did was seriously crazy, Midoriya," said Jiro, "but I'm glad you're alright."

"Your bravery is certainly admirable," said Tokoyami. "Doing what you did to protect Asui and Mineta took a great amount of courage."

"MIDOOORIIIYAAAA!"

"Mineta, you have to stop wailing-"

"I-I THOUGHT YOU WERE _DEEAAAD!"_

"We know, you've said it already…"

"You're so courageous! I would _never_ have had that kind of bravery!"

"I'm just relieved you're okay, Deku. I was...really scared. We all were."

"Yeah, man, don't do that again! Our class seriously wouldn't be the same without you!"

Izuku could only stare at his classmates, completely dumbfounded. He was overwhelmed, really, but not in a bad way. This was just...a whole lot to take in right after waking up.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa-!" Kirishima suddenly exclaimed, leaping backwards with his hands outstretched. He was looking at Izuku like he was a ghost. "Dude! Hey! I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry!"

It wasn't until now did Izuku realize that he'd started crying.

He looked down at his hands, shocked, and his tears dripped onto his knuckles and the bedsheet.

"S-Sorry," Izuku murmured, wiping his eyes with the back of his hands. "I-I'm s-sorry, guys…"

"Midoriya, what's wrong?" Iida inquired seriously. "Do you need us to get Recovery Girl? Are you in pain? Are we being too loud? Should we leave?"

"N-No, it's n-not that at all," Izuku insisted, shaking his head. "I-I just...d-didn't realize I meant so much...to all of you."

There was another beat.

"Wait, _seriously?"_ Kirishima said. His shock was replaced with dumbfoundedness. "What made you think we didn't care about you?"

"I don't know what would make you think otherwise, Midoriya," said Iida. "If I have done anything to make you doubt our loyalty, then I humbly apologize!"

"You're our friend, Deku!" said Ochako, her eyes wide with shock. "Of course we were worried about you!"

"We care about you a lot, Midoriya," said Tsuyu.

"There are tons of people who care about you!"

"Oh man, you should have seen All Might!" said Mineta. His tears were gone, like they'd never even existed. "He went on a rampage when he found out what happened to you! It was actually pretty scary!"

Class 1-A spent the rest of the day in the infirmary, and Izuku had never felt so loved and cherished before in his life.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **I know it's a shorter chapter and I'm so soRRY OKAY I'M REALLY SORRY IT'S NOT A LONGER CHAPTER but I felt like it was a good place to end it. More drama unfolds soon. I'm just gonna make Deku suffer a little while longer. Poor Deku. He doesn't deserve this.**

 **Anyways, I know a lot of you guys are looking forward to Dad Might, and there's more of that to come, I promise; this chapter was mainly just to cover the bases, like Inko's thoughts/reactions and Class 1-A coming to visit their precious sunshine classmate. The rest of it's gonna be mostly Dad Might, prolly, depending on how everything else goes.**

 **Anyways, like I said, sorry for the shorter chapter. I've been living on caffeine and the looming threat of school (I have a couple more weeks before I start taking summer off) and haven't had a lot of time to chill out and relax. Hopefully you didn't catch any embarrassing errors in this chapter. :/**

 **And unfortunately, because of some health issues I've been having, I'm gonna have to stop posting on here for a little while. Nothing too long; just until mid July or something or other. I have some doctor's appointments I can't miss and hopefully I'll be up and running again soon. :)**

 **Anyways (part 3), thank you all SO MUCH for all your support in the previous chapter! It gives me the will and motivation to keep writing, really, it does. :) So thank you! I hope you guys liked the chapter and look forward to the next one! :D You are all beautiful, amazing people and I love you soooooo much! :D :D :D :D :D :D**

 **Cheers!**

 **-BeyondTheClouds777**


	3. Chapter 3

The next time Izuku woke up, he felt like he was burning. His skin was tingling, and his head felt lighter than ever; bile burned the back of his throat, and he couldn't move without feeling he was going to throw up - or pass out.

Something was wrong. Something was really, really wrong, and he knew it. He just couldn't place _what_ was wrong.

He dared crack his eyes open. It was dark. _It...must be night,_ he concluded, though it took more time than normal for his brain to register this fact. His head was absolutely _pounding,_ and he swallowed thickly, trying to take deep breaths to ward off the sudden nausea.

 _What...what's wrong...with me...?_

"Midoriya?" He heard the door of the infirmary open and close, followed by light footsteps crossing the room to his bedside. Recovery Girl. It must have been Recovery Girl, judging by how soft the footfalls were. But still, every sound felt like hot daggers in Izuku's skull, and he didn't trust himself to speak without shrieking.

 _It's...it's so hot..._

He felt Recovery Girl's hand on his forehead. It was cold, like ice.

"Oh, poor child…" Recovery Girl sighed. "I feared this would happen…" She retracted her hand, and Izuku heard rustling beside him, followed by something like a bottle being popped open.

 _She's..._

 _...What's she doing...?_

 _Oh..._

 _...She's...probably putting something in the IV..._

His head felt like it was full of cotton. The rails of his train of thought were impaired; he couldn't think clearly anymore.

"You get the short end of the stick every time, don't you? Well...this should help you sleep, at least. That's what you need the most of right now…"

Izuku still couldn't comprehend just what was wrong with him, but he decided it didn't really matter. "W-Where's…" The word felt like sandpaper against his throat. "W-Where's All M-Might?"

"Out, at the moment. Would you like me to get him for you?"

Izuku opened his mouth to reply, then stopped; a sudden, cooling sensation rushed through his veins, and his eyes slid shut against his will. If his mind had been foggy before, it was a total white-out now.

He felt Recovery Girl's hand on his arm. "It's alright, dear, it's alright. Rest now."

And Izuku finally parted ways with his consciousness.

...

"The boy's developed a fever. You need to get over here."

That was what Recovery Girl told All Might, and that was all it took for him to race full-speed to the infirmary. It was late, and All Might had just been seeing the students off when Recovery Girl relayed her message (through a text to his phone).

This had been Recovery Girl's biggest concern, Izuku developing a fever. She had told All Might beforehand that it was a very likely possibility, considering the severe exhaustion plaguing the student's body, not to mention his injuries.

"If he gets a fever, it'll tax him even further," Recovery Girl had said. "His body's already working overtime trying to heal itself, but if he were to get a fever on top of all that…"

She hadn't finished the sentence, but she hadn't need to, either. She'd already said all that needed to be said.

And now, Izuku had developed such a fever on top of his other injuries.

All Might flung open the infirmary's door and barged inside. The lights were out, but the moonlight streaming through the windows gave All Might all the light he needed.

"You sure got here quickly," said Recovery Girl, sitting on a stool beside Izuku's bed. "Not that I'm complaining. He didn't say much at all, poor thing, but he was asking for you."

All Might only had to take one glance at Izuku to determine just how badly the student was faring. His cheeks, which had before been a ghostly pale, were now flushed a dark, unhealthy shade of red, and beads of sweat rolled down his face. He'd been peaceful before, but now he was restless, his teeth clenched and his eyes squeezed shut.

"Is there something that can be done?" That was all All Might could think about. The solution. What would help Izuku now? Because if the kid's fever went untreated…

"I gave him something for the fever through his IV," said Recovery Girl, "but I've already put him on so many medications, I'm worried about giving him more. We're just going to have to wait it out and see what happens."

All Might didn't want that, not at all. He was a _hero_ ; "waiting it out and seeing what happened" wasn't what he _did_. He was a man of action, a problem-solver, so going up against something that he _couldn't_ fix, something that he _couldn't_ help…

...He felt suddenly useless. Very, very useless, more useless than he'd ever felt before in his life.

"What caused the fever?"

"Exhaustion, probably," answered Recovery Girl with a heavy sigh. "It only makes sense. I may have stretched the boundaries of how much I could heal with my Quirk, but at the same time, it's likely he would have died if I hadn't."

"You did what you knew was best. You shouldn't blame yourself."

Recovery Girl scoffed. "That's a lot, coming from you." The worry returned an instant later, and she turned towards her feverish, restless patient. "I'll do whatever I can to break his fever," she said, "but there's only so much I can do for him in his current state."

All Might looked at the ailing student, something in his chest clenching - probably his heart.

"Try not to worry too much," said Recovery Girl. "The boy's strong. He'll be fine. In the meantime, we should try to be strong for him as well."

All Might pondered this, then nodded with determination. That was something he could do. He could be strong for his student's sake.

…

"Deku!"

"Midoriya!"

"Quiet down!" Recovery Girl whispered harshly, effortlessly shutting both Ochako and Iida up at once. When they had quieted, Recovery Girl's tone softened considerably. "The boy was tossing and turning all night and only just managed to sleep peacefully. Keep your voices low."

Ochako and Iida nodded seriously and feverishly, though their attention was now glued to their friend. It was morning now, and it had only been a matter of time before Ochako and Iida heard of Izuku's deteriorating condition and wanted to visit. The rest of Class 1-A had wanted to come, too, but Recovery Girl forbade it. A group of loud, frenzied high schoolers would do _nothing_ to help Izuku rest.

However, letting Ochako and Iida visit - two of the more level-headed students of Class 1-A and Izuku's closest friends - was a different matter.

"D-Deku…" Ochako reached out hesitantly, brushing her fingers against Izuku's flushed, sweaty face. Instantly, she withdrew her hand with a cry of shock. "Oh my gosh…! His fever's really high!"

"His condition has deteriorated significantly…" Iida's brow was pinched with concern, and he held a hand to his chin. "What's there to be done about his fever?"

"I'm doing all I can," said Recovery Girl, "but I can't give him any more medications. As it is, the dose he's getting is already pushing it."

Iida looked down, deep in thought. "There must be some way to regulate his temperature…"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Ochako suddenly perked up, snapping her fingers. "Todoroki!" she exclaimed - and then quieted down when she realized just how loud she was being. "T-Todoroki, right? He has a really good handle on his ice, so wouldn't he be able to help…?"

 _Ah! Young Todoroki!_ Honestly, All Might didn't know why he hadn't thought of it sooner. Getting Todoroki was probably the best idea any of them had had thus far.

"That's an idea," said Recovery Girl, and though her tone of voice remained neutral, there was definitely a glimmer of hope in her face. "Would you mind fetching Todoroki for me, you two?"

Ochako was nodding before the nurse even finished speaking. "We'll go get him, definitely!" she said.

Iida's hand snapped up in a solid salute. "We won't let you down!" he said proudly, and the students sprinted off.

…

Usually, Iida would forbid running in the hallway as it would be "disgraceful" and "inconsiderate", but this time, he almost encouraged it. His pace was so fast Ochako was barely able to keep up with him, and he hadn't even activated his Quirk.

"H-Hey, Iida?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"I'm worried about Deku," she voiced her thoughts, as she and Iida turned a corner and continued their sprint towards Classroom 1-A. "He...he took a really hard hit from that Nomu thing, and now...and now he's like _this_ …" She swallowed hard, her chest aching, and not just because she was running, either.

"...When All Might was carrying him, back at the USJ, I…" She paused momentarily. "...I thought he was dead. I really, honestly thought he was _dead_. It...it scared me. A lot."

Iida glanced at her briefly, and then nodded. "I understand," he said. "I, too, was terrified by it."

"And...and until now, I thought he was...I thought he was getting better, y'know?" Ochako said. "I thought...I thought he was nearly recovered, but...it seems like he's just...getting worse…"

Iida was quiet for a time. "Midoriya is...an extraordinary person to do what he did for Mineta and Tsuyu," he finally said. "I'd like to say I would have done in the same in the situation, but when push comes to shove...Midoriya's more brave than I could ever hope to be."

"Don't say that, Iida-"

"It's true," he interrupted. "And Midoriya has endured one hardship after the other and fought his way out of it. I don't think we need to worry about him, not right now. Right now, it's time for _us_ to act. He risked life and limb to protect Mineta and Tsuyu...so it's only fair we do everything in our power to ensure his recovery."

Ochako turned away briefly, and then nodded, her resolve set. "Right," she agreed.

...

Ochako and Iida returned to the infirmary in record time. "We're back!" the duo chorused, then stopped, panting to catch their breath.

"You brought Todoroki?" Recovery Girl inquired instantly.

The breathless students nodded and gestured wordlessly to the open door behind them.

Todoroki rushed inside…

...And then, so did Endeavor.

Although All Might had never held anything against Endeavor personally, when the number-two hero barged into the infirmary behind Todoroki, All Might couldn't have been more frustrated. This...was really _not_ the time. He didn't know _why_ Endeavor was here or what his intentions were, but this…

This was definitely not the time. Not. The. Time.

"Endeavor!" said All Might, trying to sound chipper while also keeping his voice low enough as to not wake Izuku. "What are you doing here?"

"A lot of pro heroes are surveying the school grounds," Endeavor answered, his arms crossed firmly over his chest. "The media exploded, ranting on and on about how a student was nearly killed during the villain attack. I merely thought I'd come take a look for myself."

Meanwhile, Todoroki ignored his father entirely and crossed the room; Recovery Girl moved forward and met him halfway to explain the situation. "His fever is already reaching a dangerous high, and I can't do anything else to bring it down, so-"

Todoroki nodded in understanding, raised his right hand, and let it hover over Izuku's forehead. Frost grew over his fingertips; the cool air looked like mist over Izuku's heated skin.

"Thank you for coming so quickly and being willing to help, Todoroki," Recovery Girl said. "I appreciate this."

Behind her, Ochako and Iida nodded earnestly.

"It's alright," Todoroki said, though he sounded distracted. "You don't have to thank me."

There was something very distantabout the tone he used that made All Might worry. _I wonder if he blames himself for what happened,_ All Might mused. _I'll have to talk to him later..._

Endeavor watched the exchange, arms still crossed, demeanor never changing. "That's the boy who was injured?" By the tone of his voice, he already knew the answer. He scoffed. "Pathetic, if you ask me, not being able to defend himself. I'm sure my Shōto would have done better. It really makes you wonder if the U.A.'s gone soft, letting such a weak boy attend."

Todoroki froze; Iida's mouth hung agape; Ochako stared in shock; Recovery Girl stopped dead in her tracks, holding a syringe; and All Might…

...Couldn't believe it. Actually, by the looks of it, _nobody_ in the room could believe what they'd just heard.

And then, the realization of what Endeavor had just said sunk in, and the tension in the room skyrocketed. Iida was always going on about "respecting their elders," but he glared almost _murderously_ at Endeavor. Ochako balled her fists at her side, visibly shaking. Recovery Girl looked like she was considering stabbing someone with that syringe of hers. Todoroki's face was shrouded in something that could only be described as rage.

And All Might…

He was almost as furious now as he was when he first realized Izuku had been injured.

Endeavor hadn't even even _there_. He hadn't shown up until _after_ the fight, until _after_ the "bosses" had fled the scene, until _after_ Izuku had been so gravely injured.

And the thing about it was, Izuku hadn't been _trying_ to defend himself. If defending himself was all he'd been thinking about, he wouldn't have gotten injured at all. But no, Izuku was defending _Tsuyu and Mineta_. He was protecting _them_ , and in doing so, he completely disregarded his own safety. He completely handed his own defenses to his classmates.

Endeavor…

...Had _no right_ to say what he did _._

All Might's fists were balled so tightly it was unbelievable. He didn't trust himself to move or speak. If he did, he'd probably end up Delaware Smashing Endeavor's _smug little face_ in.

Todoroki suddenly straightened up, his arms at his sides.

"Leave."

It was all he said, but there was so much venom and contempt behind those words that he might as well have said, _"I'm going to make sure you die a slow, agonizing death."_

Endeavor stared at his son. "Shōto-"

"You have _no right_ to say who's 'pathetic' or 'weak,'" Todoroki snarled, spinning on his heel to face his father. His eyes were narrowed, his teeth gritted behind his lips. "You weren't even there until everything was over. You didn't do _anything_ , so don't you _dare_ mock the people who did."

"Midoriya saved two of our classmates," said Iida. "As far as I'm concerned, he was the bravest in our class."

Ochako's murderous glare explained her thoughts better than words ever could.

"I'll say it again, _father_ ," Todoroki said, but there was hint of warning behind his tone, like a silent threat. " _Leave."_

Endeavor looked from Todoroki, to Ochako, to Iida, and then to All Might. "This is disgraceful behavior," said Endeavor. "Are you not going to stop it, All Might?"

All Might took in a breath. _I can't punch him here. Maybe some other time, when I can make it look like in accident…_

"...It's as Young Todoroki said," said All Might instead. "Bystanders who merely watched the battle...have no right to laugh at the wounded soldiers."

And that did it. With a huff and a monstrous glare, Endeavor spun and stormed from the infirmary, slamming the door shut behind him.

…

It took a long time for All Might, Ochako, Iida, and Todoroki to calm down after that; it was really Recovery Girl who, though just as furious with Endeavor as the next person, managed to stay level-headed enough to convince them that Endeavor was not their primary concern at the moment.

After that, things calmed down considerably, though All Might knew he would never truly forgive Endeavor for what he did.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Kirishima and Kaminari visited the infirmary during the lunch break, asking for an update on Izuku's condition.

"Nothing's changed," Recovery Girl had told them, "but I'm confident he'll start looking better in a day or so. You and the rest of the class can visit again then."

Kirishima and Kaminari had nodded and raced off, though they returned a couple hours later with the same question (and Recovery Girl gave them the same answer).

All Might learned a little later on that Kirishima and Kaminari had been nominated "Official Information Gatherers on Midoriya While He's In The Infirmary" by their class (according to Mineta, who joined the duo once). Honestly, All Might was touched by their actions. Izuku had some truly wonderful friends.

Ochako and Iida visited the infirmary one last time that evening, just before heading to their respective homes. The rest of Class 1-A took turns sticking their heads through the door and waving goodbye to the still-sleeping Izuku.

All Might sat by the stool still placed by Izuku's bedside, the lights out and the windows closed. The room was almost completely dark, but All Might's eyes had grown accustomed to it by now, so he could easily navigate the room. Recovery Girl had been called out on short notice to accompany a group of heroes on a mission, so other than Izuku, he was alone.

All Might may have stopped "blaming himself," but that didn't mean he still didn't feel guilty, especially whenever he laid eyes on this hurt, ill-stricken student. It was at time like these he realized just how incompetent of a mentor he was, just how much more he had to learn.

He sighed. _I have a long way to go, I supp-_

" _AHHH!"_

All Might nearly jumped out of his skin when Izuku suddenly bolted upright, a harsh shriek tearing from his throat. His eyes were glassy and fever-bright, but there was an unspoken _terror_ in them that shook All Might to his core. Almost instantly, the boy launched into a fit of coughing, bringing an arm to his mouth to stifle it. It sounded very painful.

"Midoriya!" If there was one thing All Might had been expecting, it certainly wasn't _this._ A million thoughts raced through his head - _what's wrong? What caused this? Why does he look so terrified? What? -_ but somehow, he managed to put aside his shock for the time being. After all, his student was more important than his surprise.

He got up from the stool and seated himself on the edge of Izuku's bed. "Midoriya, hey, Midoriya, try to calm down," he instructed gently, reaching out and rubbing the boy's back as he coughed and hacked. He wondered, briefly, if Recovery Girl should put him back on oxygen, just in case his lungs were still having trouble working on their own.

"Breathe. You've gotta breathe, kid." All Might was surprised by the steadiness of his voice, considering the situation. Admittedly, he was a little impressed by his level-headedness.

But all thoughts disappeared when he realized, with yet another shock, that Izuku was crying. He wasn't coughing anymore, but his sobs were just as harsh and sounded just as painful, if not more.

"Hey. Heyheyheyheyhey, what's wrong?" All Might asked helplessly, level-headedness gone. Not only was he an incompetent teacher, he also had no idea what to do in situations like this. Especially when he didn't even know what was _wrong_. "Midoriya, my boy, what happened?"

Izuku reached up, rubbing his eyes furiously. "S-Sorry," was all he said, and it was definitely _not_ the answer All Might had been hoping for - or expecting. "I-I'm sorry…"

"Young Midoriya…what are you apologizing for?" This was a curve ball if All Might had ever seen one. Izuku didn't answer coherently, just tried (and failed) to wipe away his tears.

"I'm s-sorry, I-I'm s-s-sorry…"

All Might was at a complete loss. _What to do what to do what to do what to do what to-_

He didn't know what part of him made the decision - his head or his heart - but he reached out and wrapped his arms tightly around the boy, bringing him in for a firm but gentle embrace. At first (though he wasn't sure why), he expected Izuku to pull away, but he didn't. Instead, Izuku accepted the hug, his tears flowing with fresh vigor.

All Might didn't really know what had opted him to hug the student, he just...didn't know what else to do. And since Izuku wasn't coherent enough to explain just what was wrong, it left All Might to speculate.

 _Probably some kind of nightmare, or a fever-dream, or something…_

It was the only explanation that made sense.

All Might sighed heavily, settling his hand on the back of Izuku's head. It was ridiculous, really, just how much the boy went through on such a regular basis. With One For All backlashing on him all the time, he already had enough infirmary visits to deal with, and now to be injured during a villain attack, and then suffer even _more_ while he was still trying to recover...

 _Gah, poor kid…_

It really _wasn't_ fair.

It took a long time for Izuku to finally calm down enough to form an audible sentence, but even so, the very first thing out of his mouth was, "A-All M-Might, I'm s-sorry…f-for f-freaking out..."

"Don't worry about it," All Might said. "S'not your fault. Anyways, nevermind that. What's bothering you?"

It was probably dumb to ask a concussed, feverish, scared boy "what's bothering you," but Izuku didn't seem to mind. He pulled back out of the embrace, rubbing his eyes again, and All Might sat back patiently.

"I-It's n-nothing," Izuku murmured. "J-Just...s-some dream."

 _Ah. Thought so._ But All Might wasn't proud of his prediction. "A bad dream?"

"Y-Yeah," Izuku said, swallowing. "I-I...I d-didn't make it in time."

He didn't give any more details, and he didn't have to. All Might knew what he meant instantly.

 _I didn't make it in time to save Mineta or Tsuyu._ That was what his dream - no, his _nightmare_ \- was about.

All Might opened his mouth to answer, but Izuku started speaking before a single thing left All Might's mouth.

"A-All Might...d-do you think...I-I'm a bad successor?"

And All Might's mind went blank. It went completely _blank_. And when his thoughts began again, the only thing he could think was _why?_ Why was Izuku suddenly asking this? Sure, the kid was timid and had a tendency to look down on and underestimate himself, so it was no real surprise he would question his worthiness, but still. Even so.

"Midoriya...why would you think that?"

"I-I…" Izuku swallowed thickly and took in a breath; it sounded like hard work. "I-I overheard E-Endeavor…"

Oh. _Oh._ All Might had nearly forgotten, due to all his worry over Izuku. What Endeavor said was something that couldn't be forgiven anyway, but now All Might realized that Izuku had _heard_ it, and now he was _questioning_ his own worth _because_ of it...

Endeavor was going to _pay..._

All Might caught himself and stomped down his fury for the time being (and it was really, _really_ hard). Now was _not_ the time to be angry with Endeavor.

"You weren't sleeping, huh?" All Might managed to say, once he'd calmed down enough to speak.

"N-Not really," Izuku admitted. "I-it was s-sort of on and off all day, a-and I didn't hear the whole t-thing, b-but I heard enough…" He swallowed again, his fever-bright eyes glistening. "A-All Might, I...I'm sorry. I'm...I'm n-not the successor you deserve."

A dozen red flags went off in All Might's head. Was this what Izuku really thought about himself? It must've been. Izuku was shy and timid for the most part, but he was also honest. If he said something, you could believe it.

"...'I was scared I wouldn't be able to protect my friends,'" All Might quoted, and Izuku turned, staring at him with wide, watery eyes. "That's what you told me, isn't it?"

"Y-Yeah," fumbled Izuku, "b-but-"

"Young Midoriya, you're the most selfless person I know," All Might interrupted, before Izuku could start trash-talking himself again. "You plunge into danger head-first without thinking about what could become of you, because you're desperate to stop what could become of someone else. Strangers, classmates, friends...it doesn't matter who they are. You fight to protect them, to _save_ them. And, well, it takes a special kind of person to do that."

Izuku blinked twice in rapid session.

"I can't think of anyone," said All Might, "that I would rather be my successor."

Izuku blinked again, and this time, it was followed by another river of tears. "R-Really?"

"Really."

Izuku opened his mouth, tried to say something, stopped, and then wiped his eyes again with the back of his hand. "T-T... _T-Thank you…"_

"Don't thank me, I'm just telling it how it is," said All Might. "...And you might want to start taking it easy on the waterworks."

"O-Okay," Izuku said, but his actions did nothing to back up his words. He was quiet for another moment, and then, "H-Hey, c-can...can I ask you something else?"

"Sure. Last question, though, and then you need to rest."

"A-Are you afraid of anything, All Might?"

All Might froze. An image of Izuku, broken, limp, and bloody suddenly popped into his head.

"...Yes, my boy. I am."

Izuku looked so shocked it was almost comical. "Wait, really? What is it?"

All Might was quick to change the subject. "I said last question, kid, remember?"

"H-Hey, w-wait, that's not very fair..."

"Recovery Girl wants you to rest, and she'll hunt me down if you don't."

But that was only half-true. In honesty, it wasn't Recovery Girl's fierce protectiveness as much as it was All Might's reluctance. The fear of Izuku getting hurt (or worse) was something All Might didn't want to think about. It brought back a lot of unpleasant memories.

However...

"...I-It's about me, isn't it?"

...Izuku had always been a perceptive one.

All Might whipped around to face him, but Izuku had already turned away. The boy pulled his knees against his chest and rested his head against them, suddenly looking very small. "I...I don't know _all_ of what happened," Izuku said tiredly, "but...my classmates more or less explained the gist of it. What happened, after...after Nomu attacked me. Were you..."

Izuku paused, trying to think of how to word it.

"...Were you really that upset?"

Well, there wasn't any hiding it now. "...Yes," said All Might, "I was. I _am_. The thought of losing you...scares me to death."

All Might could almost _see_ the gears turning in Izuku's head as the boy fought to process this. "W-Wait, _me?"_ Izuku finally asked, pointing a finger at himself.

All Might only nodded.

Izuku took in a breath, and then looked away. "I'm sorry…"

"What for?"

"For...making you worry."

"Young Midoriya…"

There was something rising in All Might's chest. An urge to protect, unlike anything he'd ever felt before, and this was a lot coming from the number one hero.

 _I wonder…_

 _...If this is how a father feels…_

"It's alright, my boy," All Might told him. "You don't need to apologize for that. I'm just glad you're safe now."

Izuku blinked again, then nodded, though he didn't look fully convinced. "Y-Yeah...agh…" His injuries suddenly caught up with him, and he reached up, grasping his head and hissing through his teeth.

"Okay, that's enough," said All Might. "You need to get some rest for now, alright? You being safe doesn't mean anything if you abuse your body while it's still healing."

Izuku only nodded shakily in response, then laid down again, pulling the blanket over his shoulders. All Might watched him for another moment or so, then averted his gaze, glancing at the infirmary's closed door.

 _I wonder when Recovery Girl will return…?_

A sudden weight dropped against All Might's shoulder, and he turned, a mixture of shocked and confused. Izuku had sat up at some point and was now resting his head heavily against the hero's shoulder. "Midoriya...?"

"S-Sorry," Izuku said quietly, voice strained. "I'm just…"

All Might pondered his student's actions for a moment, then smiled softly in understanding. "Still kind of freaked out about the nightmare, right?" he offered, though he knew the answer.

Izuku nodded, the movement small and hesitant. "Y-Yeah…I-I'm sorry..."

All Might wrapped an arm around Izuku's shoulders and pulled him closer. "I told you to stop apologizing," he chastised softly. "You didn't do anything wrong. You don't have to be embarrassed about it, either."

"...Y-You're right…"

"Yes, I am. Now try and get some sleep." He raised a hand, placing it firmly against Izuku's forehead. He was genuinely alarmed by just how much heat the boy was giving off. "Ah, kid, you're burning up…" he sighed, smoothing Izuku's sweat-damp bangs out of his face.

Izuku blinked blearily at him, then closed his eyes, his body relaxing as he fell asleep. All Might sighed again before reaching over and pulling the blanket around Izuku's shoulders.

"Sleep well, my boy."

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

 **Um...**

 **So I've been updating this story mainly on AO3 and I kinda forgot I posted it here...? I'm so sorry guys. :( It's a problem with having more than one site to update your stories on...**

 **...That said, I have more chapters on my AO3 account (it's under the same name as this one), so if you guys don't feel up to waiting for chapter 4, you can go to my account on there and read it that way. :) (Though updates on here should be semi faster now that I actually remembered I was POSTING this story...)**

 **Anyways, thank you all for your support! It means a lot to me. :) I'll see you guys next chapter!**

 **Until then, go beyond! PLUS ULTRA! :D**

 **-BeyondTheClouds777**


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